Starting in 1887, Mary M. Vaux made many trips through the Canadian Rockies, usually with her family. A noted artist, photographer,
and naturalist, Vaux was taken by the scenery and wildlife she saw. Vaux even had a mountain named after her,
Mount Mary Vaux in Jasper National Park,
Alberta. (This is not the same as Mount Vaux near the Burgess Shale, which was named for William Vaux, a British Museum antiquarian.)

In an article for the Canadian Alpine Journal in 1907, she related some of her experiences in the mountains. It was
during her travels through the Canadian Rockies that Mary met Dr. Charles Walcott
of the Smithsonian Institution (on August 16, 1907) and grew to share his interest in the geological history of the mountains.

With Walcott in the Rockies

As an experienced photographer, Vaux often assisted Walcott in the field by developing his negatives in camp. When they were not
in the field, Vaux and Walcott corresponded. After the tragic death of Walcott's second wife, Helena, in a train crash in 1911,
their mutual regard turned to love. (Though as a proper Quaker, Vaux used the formal "Thou" and "Thee" to refer to Walcott in
her early letters.) The two married in 1914.

Legacy

Mary Vaux took hundreds of photographs which captured her travels through the Rockies. Many of her photographs are kept in
the collections of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta. Her pictures and writings give a unique glimpse of
the great mountains as they would have appeared to the first generation of tourists to visit the area.

Photographs and Writings

This "Picture Journal" offers a selection of Mary Vaux's photographs depicting various aspects of life in the field,
supported by her own written words from 1907 and 1912.

Field Photography

"A camera is a very delightful adjunct, for it is pleasant to have some tangible results to show, on your return home. A Kodak,
if no larger instrument can be managed, yields most satisfactory results, although the better records from a larger-sized
camera are an increased delight, when one has the patience and skill to obtain them. For changing plates in camp, an improvised
tepee can be made of the blankets, and, if this is done after sundown, is quite satisfactory."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.

Settling Camp

"Now as to appliances and outfit: To begin with, a good tent is required, plenty of warm blankets, and a canvas sheet
to spread under and over the blankets on the bough-bed, to prevent dampness from above and below; then, a small pillow
is a great luxury, and takes but little room in the pack."

"Each person should be provided with a canvas bag, which can be securely buttoned, wherein to place the necessary
toilet articles. An extra pair of light shoes, a short skirt to wear in camp and a golf cape with hood, add greatly
to the comfort of the camper; also a good-sized piece of mosquito netting, to keep off intruding bulldogs; while a
hot water bottle and a box of mustard may be tucked in along with a few simple medicines in case of emergency."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.

Women's attire

"Of course, it is pre-supposed that the women of the party wear rational clothes: knickerbockers,
a flannel shirtwaist, and knotted kerchief at the neck; stout boots, with hobnails, laced to the knee,
or arranged for puttees; woollen stockings, a felt hat with moderate brim, and a sweater or short coat
completing the outfit."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.

Unidentified man and woman along trail near Lake O'Hara, British Columbia, 1907.

While Riding a Horse

"A light waterproof coat, opened well behind, to allow it to part over the horse's back, and which
may be fastened to the saddle, is very necessary in a region where storms must be expected frequently."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.

Nutrition

"The food taken is largely a matter for personal selection. We have eliminated canned things very
largely, and find the change to dried foods not at all distasteful-of course, with the proviso
that they are properly cooked. Bacon, ham, tea, coffee, evaporated cream, butter, oatmeal, rice,
beans, flour, canned tomatoes, canned soup, onions, potatoes, pickles, marmalade, cheese and dried
fruits can be so prepared that, with hunger sauce, there is nothing left to be desired in the way
of a larger bill of fare. Trout and game are always a welcome addition to the larder."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.

Swiss Guides

"Of, if one wishes a still higher climb, one can venture across Abbot pass (9000 feet above sea) and
down the Victoria glacier to Lake Louise. But this is only safe with an experienced Swiss guide, as
the pass is frequently traversed by avalanches on its northern side."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.

The Call of the Mountains

"Of course golf is a fine game, but can it compare with a day on the trail, or a scramble over the glacier,
or even with a quiet day in camp to get things in order for the morrow's conquest? Some how when once this wild
spirit enters the blood, golf courses & hotel piazzas, be they ever so brilliant, have no charm, and I can
hardly wait to be off again."

Letter to Charles Walcott, 3-11-1912

Party of climbers at summit of Mount Stephen, British Columbia, between 1894 and 1912.

The Intriguing Fossils

"I had some time to myself last evening, and so took up thy report on the Burgess Fossil bed. I was most interested
in the wonderful fossils, and hope I may, some time, have an opportunity to see them. We have some very beautiful
trilobites from Mt Stephen, that we got before the location was so much patronized, but they are only the common
ones. How much we pass by, owing to our lack of knowledge in recognizing the value of what we see."

Yoho Glacier

"It is to me the loveliest spot to be found, and always quickens my blood when I hear and speak of it, and I
can imagine no greater than camping there away from the tourist, and the noise of the iron horse."

Camping in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Alpine Journal 1, no. 1 (1907), 67-71.